Tuesday, March 8, 2016

PCG Mentioning the National Council of Resistance of Iran

In 1994 Gerald Flurry, leader of the Philadelphia Church of God, proclaimed Iran to be the King of the South. Ever since PCG has continuously demonized Iran.
But PCG has been so hostile to Iran that they have cited one source without discuss in detail about the controversies and disturbing authoritarian
behavior of one group opposed to the current governmental in Iran,
namely the Mojahedin-e-Khalq.

The Mojahedin-e-Khalq
(MEK) was established in Iran as a left wing party dedicated to
overthrowing the Shah in 1965. But following the overthrow of the Shah
and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini to power the Mojahedin-e-Khalq, led
by Masoud Rajavi and his wife Maryam Rajavi, proceeded to wage an armed
insurgency against Iran from 1981 onward. According to Iran's Press TV
the Mojahedin-e-Khalq killed 12,000 people during the course of their
armed insurgency to overthrow the government.

Over
time the organization also became well known for authoritarian behavior
imposed upon their members causing many observers to describe them as
being like a cult. Noted anti-cult author Steven Hassan mentions the
Mojahedin-e-Khalq on his website. According to one ex-member in 1990 Masoud Rajavi ordered MEK members to divorce their spouses.

The US State Department regarded the Mojahedin-e-Khalq as a terrorist organization from October 8, 1997 till September 28, 2012. Some of PCG's discussion about this organization was mentioned in a previous post.

As part of their political activities in 1981 the Mojahedin-e-Khalq established a coalition organization named the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

This organization is mentioned by PCG in their writings. The link between the MEK and the NCRI is made clear in the last quote. Below is a list of the times PCG mentioned the NCRI.

***

According to Mohammad Mohaddessin of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran, an opposition group that was first responsible for publishing
details of Iran’s secret atomic program, “Rowhani’s remarks show that
the mullahs wanted to deceive the international community from the onset
of negotiations with EU3—and that the mullahs were fully aware that if
they were transparent, the regime’s nuclear file would be referred to
the UN immediately” (Telegraph, March 5). (Iran's Lies Exposed, March 16, 2006)

According to Mohammad Mohaddessin of the National Council of Resistance
of Iran, an opposition group that was first responsible for publishing
details of Iran’s secret atomic program, “Rowhani’s remarks show that
the mullahs wanted to deceive the international community from the onset
of negotiations with EU3—and that the mullahs were fully aware that if
they were transparent, the regime’s nuclear file would be referred to
the UN immediately” (Telegraph, March 5). (Timothy Oostendarp, Exposing Iran's Lies, May 2006.)

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is covertly using Iran’s embassy
in Baghdad as a staging center for attacks on Western forces, the National Council of Resistance to Iran (NCRI) claims.
Mohammed Mohadessin, spokesman for the Paris-based Iranian
opposition group, says five of the diplomats working at the embassy are
currently involved in planning terrorist attacks. Citing intelligence
obtained from Iranian sources, Mohadessin
said the Revolutionary Guard has turned Iran’s Baghdad embassy “into
the most important center for coordinating its terrorist and
intelligence activities against coalition forces.” (Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Uses Baghdad Embassy to Coordinate Attacks, November 1, 2007.)

On Saturday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called on the
United States to take a tougher stance against Iran. He was speaking at a
rally held in Berlin, Germany, which was attended by several hundred
Iranian exiles.
An Iranian opposition group of exiles called National Council of
Resistance of Iran organized the event. The group is associated with the
People’s Mujahedin of Iran, an armed resistance group that was taken
off the U.S. terror list in 2012. (Rudy Giuliani Says President Obama Making a ‘Terrible Mistake’ With Iran, March 9, 2015.)

***

Finally PCG mentions that the Mojahidin-e-Khalq was regarded as a terrorist organization by the US State Department only after it was removed from the list.

If You are new please read this

Hand in Hand for Syria

Keep Somalia's Remittances Open

I encourage readers to sign this petition from Oxfam calling upon the U.S. government to let the Somali diaspora continue to send remittance to their loved ones in Somalia.

Moves have been made to shut down such remittances from Somalis in America. Many Somalis need these remittances. The remittances to Somalia are larger than foreign aid contributions and are a lifeline to these people caught in trouble and turmoil.

It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most.

So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning".

Truth about Roderick C. Meredith

What sort of man is he? A man who could say things like this.

"Mr. Armstrong has reminded us again that we are to disfellowship any members who attend GTA's [Garner Ted Armstrong's] campaigns, church services or other meetings. Some of our weaker members apparently do not realize that this man is in direct rebellion against God and His government! We must not allow them, or ourselves, to rationalize about this matter, to try to "help the underdog," or in any other way lend support to one whose gross immorality, whose long standing "play acting" and hypocrisy, and whose direct insubordination to the Government of God has long been and is now a source of confusion and DIVISION among God's people. So, as per Mr. Armstrong's instruction, I charge and exhort every one of you faithful ministers of the living Christ to explain this in no uncertain terms to your members, to warn them about this cause of division and then to disfellowship any who consort with GTA or any of his fellows." (Roderick C. Meredith, Pastor's Report, May 21, 1979, pp. 1-2.)

David Robinson on Roderick C. Meredith

"During the ten years I have been an employee of the Worldwide Church, you have been poorly spoken of by most of the ministers and employees I have known. I vividly remember the absolute unbounded glee that was openly expressed by a good number of respected men in the church when you were first "shanghaied." [In 1972.] I could begin by naming names, which I am sure would shock you. I was one of the few who stood, where possible, for you. Your tenure as superintendent of ministers, as I believe the office was then called, was looked on as nightmarish. While you held office during the years of growth, most of those whom I know gave you very little credit for that growth. Almost everyone whom I know, whether they be former friends of yours, or continuing foes, recalls insensitive and terrible things you have done. Without exception, at least among my acquaintances, they all credit you with an unbridled lust for power and list you as one who is willing to pay the price of gaining that power, no matter what. I have, through many of the last few years, believed you had principles you would not violate. Many a man of experience in the church assured me of my error. Events have proven me wrong and them right. Mr. Armstrong has himself been widely quoted as saying of you that you were so righteous that you were so "righteous you were unrighteous." " (David Robinson, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, Chapter 16, p. 207.)

Of course it is impossible for me to personally verify these assertions but people deserve to know what this knowledgeable man had to say about him.